Your first model train.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

My very first Train set was a "Seaboard Freight" Lionel O-27 set on my 6th birthday. It came with an invincible C&O 4-4-2 atlantic (the thing has literally caught fire, and still runs to this day), a Chessie System/C&O Boxcar, CB&Q gondola, and a Chessie System/ C&O Caboose.

Unfortunately, my train set didn't really grow until almost 7 years later, when i picked up a few switches and some new freight cars. When it was clear that lionel was going to be to expensive, I "Downgraded" to HO.

At 13, I picked up a Lifelike double diesel and caboose set, and some Bachmann EZ track. It included two Chessie System/ B&O GP38s. I haven't dropped out of the hobby since!

The lionel has been out almost every christmas since except for the last couple, due to a puppy chewing wires and now a 2 year old nephew.



Speaking of Christmas, my one of my GP38s when they were new, in December 2003, ten years ago! Sadly, Only the Conrail GP7, Crane, and the Lionel Set still run. Everything else in this picture has not survived my childhood! I'm always looking for a new UP C44-9W #9820.

[sailormatlac]

In 1986 my father set up his HO Life-Like CN trainset on the dining room table. I was 3 year old and honestly, I probably never was more hyped in my life than that evening. In the following months, I bothered my parent to show me the train, which they refused out of concern I would break it. Then, they bought me a HO Bachmann CP Rail trainset in 1987 made of a F9, a 50ft boxcar, a hopper and a caboose. I remember they got it at Kmart. One or 2 years after, I two other railcars (a log flat car and a Shell tank car) with a freight station and a blinking oil tank; all Bachmann. My father set the tracks on a 4' x 4' sheet of plywood and we draw a layout with color pencils.

Honestly, as far as I can remember, I was totally obsessed by trains when I was 3 years old. It's quite funny when you think about it. You see it once as a toddler and you're totally infected for the rest of your life.

Of course, I still have my original trainset and related boxes. I remember the day I found out a club member gutted my original transformer to get some electric parts for a project... it was like if something had died in me!!!

Matt

[ngauger]

We had an O Scale A-B-A Santa Fe set - Warbonnet paint and 4 passenger cars going around the tree when I was 6 (1954). This directly peaked my interest in railroading.

In 1982 - I started my first HO railroad in the basement.

[Ralph]

I know I had a train set with a steam locomotive on three rail track when I was very young but I don't recall the brand. As a ten year old I was given the Tyco Penn Central Inter-City passenger set that started a 4 X 8 layout in my bedroom. It featured a green F unit like this: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://id417.van.ca.securedata.net/etoysdropoff.com/merchantmanager/images/uploads/DSCF6272.jpg">https://id417.van.ca.securedata.net/eto ... CF6272.jpg</a><!-- m -->

I still have the loco although I log since removed the motor and painted it black and added decals. I use it as a dummy in my consists.

[zstripe]

In 1949 for Christmas I got a American Flyer train had a 4-6-2 Pacific. Saved for more track, couple switches and more cars, I was seven at the time. We moved in 1951, I had packed all my train things in boxes and when I got to the new house, could never find my trains again. To this day I don't know what happened to them. My guess would be someone needed them more than I did. Started in HO 1952 to present. Strictly DC user. Have 6 DCC with sound,just for the grandkids.
''Merry Christmas'' TO ALL.
Frank,zstripe

[tomustang]

First train was an engine, a Athearn Conrail GP9 (really a GP7). Still runs great after 20+ years

[Green_Elite_Cab]

First train was an engine, a Athearn Conrail GP9 (really a GP7). Still runs great after 20+ years

Was it this one? Mine also still runs, and it even survived a week in the woods like nothing happened to it! It was my third HO engine, and its probably the only one of my early engines that still runs.

[tomustang]

Sure was. Even bought a shell kit to make it look better but my modeler days are drying up so it probably won't happen.

[Charlie B]

In 1949 for Christmas I got a American Flyer train had a 4-6-2 Pacific. Saved for more track, couple switches and more cars, I was seven at the time. We moved in 1951, I had packed all my train things in boxes and when I got to the new house, could never find my trains again. To this day I don't know what happened to them. My guess would be someone needed them more than I did. Started in HO 1952 to present. Strictly DC user. Have 6 DCC with sound,just for the grandkids.
''Merry Christmas'' TO ALL.
Frank,zstripe

Frank, Here is an ad for a 1949 American Flyer set...was it this one?    

I was on the receiving end of this set in 1949    

I sold it in 1955 so I could get some "real" model trains. Sure wish I had it, or even the "real" American Flyer Comet passenger set that replaced it.

Charlie

[Enginseer]

My very first train set given to me by my grandfather when I was around 10 in the late 80's from his collection.

TYCO "Spirit of '76" train set.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

This set is 18 years old now... and its still keeping kids entertained! To be fair, the Fast Track is new, but I still have all the old track.

[boppa]

My first one was a Triang 440 tank (Southern Railways) ran for many years until my early teens on my dads layout until the magic smoke escaped
that became my first scratchbuilt basis- body chopped and changed and mounted on a 060 chassis
wonder what happened to it? (lost over the years when I moved away, it was left at my mums house and one day just vanished)

[gbwdude]

I know when I was really little my great-grandparents had a box of toys set aside for me to play with. In that box was a old (and possibly rare as I can't find much info on it) wind-up Hafner train set. I never had track but would just let it race along the floor with it's three car train. I still have it to this day, and last time I touched it I wound it up to verify that the mechanism still works.

What makes it potentially rare is from the research that I did the 1010 Hafner set normally had a black locomotive and tender with a gondola, a tank car and a caboose. My set has all of that but the locomotive is red. That's where the info stops, I have no clue when they made a red locomotive and have only found another one searching images on Google.

As far as actual scale models though, they didn't come until I was four or five. My mom figured that since I have small hands I should have small trains, so I started this journey in N scale. I've had two 2x4 layouts, while the second one was well done (it had a full mountain scenery with a cool lake and well detailed buildings) I had more fun with my first one (just a flat layout but I cut out roads of black construction paper and put my buildings wherever I wanted). Both of the layouts are now gone and I've sold my locomotives but I still have most of my rolling stock and buildings.

[zstripe]

In 1949 for Christmas I got a American Flyer train had a 4-6-2 Pacific. Saved for more track, couple switches and more cars, I was seven at the time. We moved in 1951, I had packed all my train things in boxes and when I got to the new house, could never find my trains again. To this day I don't know what happened to them. My guess would be someone needed them more than I did. Started in HO 1952 to present. Strictly DC user. Have 6 DCC with sound,just for the grandkids.
''Merry Christmas'' TO ALL.
Frank,zstripe

Frank, Here is an ad for a 1949 American Flyer set...was it this one?[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

I was on the receiving end of this set in 1949[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

I sold it in 1955 so I could get some "real" model trains. Sure wish I had it, or even the "real" American Flyer Comet passenger set that replaced it.

Charlie

Charlie B,
Sorry I missed your reply, been rather busy. No the AF train set had a Pacific that was more conventional looking w/smoke and the boxcar was a cattle car, The Katy. Now back to ''Chiberia'' Chgo's new winter ''nickname''.
Frank,zstripe

[switcher1]

My fist train set, around about 1955, was a Trix Twin loco & coach, running on an oval of three rail track via a wind up transformer.
Dont remember if it was 00 or H0, nor what it was meant to represent.